Strength
by Blue-Inked Frost
Summary: He visits the junkyard, in darkness and alone, because he is Kilobyte, and he is afraid of nothing. Alternative romance primarily set during second series.


Disclaimer: I own nothing. I write this fanfiction for no profit nor expect to receive profit. 

**A/N:** This is slash, Kilobyte/Random. Turn back nowif you do not wish to read this.

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He visits the junkyard, in darkness and alone, because he is Kilobyte, and he is afraid of nothing. When he arrives he finds the cyborg, moodily staring at a pile of discarded cars, standing in the moon's shadow.

Random Virus spends his time surrounded by such human leavings, scrap metal and plastic and electric wires in a tangle. Perhaps he sees the discarded mortal detritus as a metaphor for his own condition, living as an outcast of both Knights and Evils. That's about to change.

Kilobyte approaches the cyborg, allowing the thud of his footsteps to disrupt the night, and Random turns around, slowly, to show that he is not intimidated.

There's a brief exchange of words, Kilobyte talking of _power_ and _conquer_ and _bravery_, Random responding with _coward_ and _attack_ and _strength_, and an almost perfunctory attempt to fight, just to show that neither fears the other. In the night there's a faint silver reflection created by Random's metal half, and the shadows trace Kilobyte's tattoos into strange and twisted shapes.

They're an odd contrast to each other, Random standing frozen and stoic, seemingly a creature all metal, cold and calm and reflective, and Kilobyte's tentacles in fluid motion, tracing unearthly patterns in the darkness that's almost an ocean. They're of a height to meet each other's eyes without raising or lowering their glance, and do so unflinchingly, to prove that neither is intimidated. They both recognise a similarity of strength in the other, and the energy between them is almost palpable.

Random names his price, and Kilobyte isn't surprised. Furthermore, it's one he's more than willing to pay.

---

The following day, confident of success, Kilobyte and Random Virus attack the Lightning Knights; the two of them, Ace and the human boy, are easily imprisoned at the Carnival, where Kilobyte plans to use Fred to dispose of them. He sees it as a fitting end for his enemies.

Things change when the mortal starts to attempt to fight. His pitiful attempts serve only to delay his death, of course; but Random sees it differently, sees courage there, and turns against his evil side and against his allies.Random's control over machinery is turnedto devastating purpose; a shatteringly intense light scythesthrough the air, and Kilobyte is forced to retreat.

Random returns to his friends, and once again resolves to live up to his good side.

Kilobyte resolves to refuse to ask help of Random in future, to forget him, and to win the battle on his own. He knows he's more than capable of it.

He also knows that he will never allow sentiment to get in the way of fulfilling his purpose. At first, he thought that purpose was to conquer the world; now, he knows his true purpose, and it's one he's chosen for himself: again, to conquer the world, but for himself this time, to prove that he is more than a human slave. No trace of feeling can be allowed; enjoy the company of Random Virus he may, but this will never stop Kilobyte from pursuing his true goals.

---

Kilobyte fights in the days ahead, preparing for war. He notices Ace's emotional vulnerability, the grovelling of Lord Fear, and Lady Illusion's bitter compliance, and smiles to himself. Everything is going according to plan.

At the junkyard, Random stands alone for the most part, using his powers to arrange and rearrange the discarded cars in intricate patterns. On one of his good days, he's able to help his friends; mostly he's glad about it. And later, he's glad that his friends have chosen to leave him to himself; he has a lot to brood on.

The day comes for Kilobyte to take action against his programming; now he has in his possession all but one of the pieces of the amulet, he is virtually unstoppable. Overconfidence has never been one of Kilobyte's failings, however, and he leaves for the junkyard.

Though hoping that the Virus will show some reason, he has made sure to come prepared; and he does not regret this as he uses Anvil, Fear, and the Rat to distract Random so he can subdue the cyborg.

He does not choose to kill Random though, simply to imprison him behind an unbreakable energy field; he's always held that to waste talent is a crime unworthy of him. No factor of sentiment or _love_ entered into the decision. Kilobyte has his purpose, Random Virus has his; and they respect each other's ability to hold to that purpose.

Not so the other pair, the foolish idealists that they were.

---

Kilobyte remembers seeing the two figures, standing in the shadow of the Haunted House, locked in a wordless, desperate embrace. He watches with detached interest, observing that this provides him with the truth about Lady Illusion's loyalties.

He knows they'll probably both end up dead, Ace at Kilobyte's own hands, and Lady Illusion—_does she have a first name_, he wonders briefly—at the hands of one of her betrayed masters. Yet he knows they both hope for the impossible to happen, and he is almost amused at their naiveté. He considers which of the two is the more foolish—she, who betrayed two that would kill her without remorse, or he, attempting to pursue a romantic relationship with an enemy.

Kilobyte isn't prey to such pitiful hopes, and knows he is the stronger for it. He doesn't bother to view Random in his cage behind the energy field.

---

There's three of them standing against him at the end, and Kilobyte is shocked at Fear's defection. Perhaps he shouldn't have been; perhaps he should have taken action to stop this some time before; but the time is now, and Kilobyte is found to be lacking.

When it comes, the blast to the Sixth Dimension is more painful than anything Kilobyte has ever experienced, the bytes and currents that compose his body ripped apart and reassembled in the other dimension.

From the complexity and level of detail found on Earth, the Sixth Dimension is almost two-dimensional, all simple bright colours and smooth flat surfaces, confining him in its space. It's a prison.

Even so, Kilobyte isn't one to be easily defeated.

---

He's able to return from the Sixth Dimension, relying on the teleporting ability of Lady Illusion, and he notes the folorn look in Ace's eyes when he realises that Kilobyte has used his programming authority to break the woman's spirit. It's a pleasure to harm his enemies, and one he's more than willing to indulge himself in.

When Random comes to the aid of his friends, Kilobyte's ready to fight him, and wraps his tentacles around the cyborg's body in a gesture that in another setting could have been intimate, and drains his energy. There's a strange look in the cyborg's eyes, and as Random wheels himself from the battlefield he spares Kilobyte a glance.

That night, Kilobyte makes another visit to the junkyard; this time, he doesn't waste time talking. They both know that in the morning, they'll be enemies again; and yet they're willing to take advantage of whatever time they have, alone between the rusty discards in the hidden night, two people for now rather than two archfoes.

---

Later, as they face each other for the final battle, they gravitate to one another as the most powerful on either side, and do their best to kill each other, tentacles meeting metal, strength against strength. When it's over only one of them walks away, and what he feels he tells nobody.

-

**A/N:** Any and all feedback is appreciated. Email is shadowsarah at hotmail dot com, on profile page.


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